Channel Migration and Bank Erosion of the Clark Fork River at Grant-Kohrs Ranch N.H.S., Western Montana

Large-scale mining, concentration and smelting in Butte and Anaconda, Montana over the last c.a. 150 years led to contaminated tailings being distributed along the entire upper Clark Fork River System. The extent of hazardous material distributed along the Clark Fork River is a major concern because the floodplain is a large reservoir of contaminated sediment that is being eroded into the river, and is a main source of river contamination and metal toxicity in aquatic ecosystems This study examined the geomorphic changes within the river system that have occurred in a 4-km long stretch of the Clark Fork River near Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. Aerial photographs of the reach from 2001, 2004 and 2007 were analyzed using ArcGIS 9.2. Areas of erosion and areas of deposition were calculated for the main meander bends, and results show that these areas are unbalanced throughout the study reach. The average current erosion rate for the time interval between 2001 and 2007 was determined to be 0.170m²/m/yr, while the rate of deposition was determined to be 0.222m²/m/yr. An average of about 680m² of the contaminated floodplain are reworked every year, and at this rate it will approximately 1000 years to rework the entire floodplain within Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Eight cross sections of the channel within the study reach were measured to determine the change in channel area and elevation to determine if the bed is aggrading or degrading. Slope and thalweg measurements, along with a Wolman pebble count were conducted along each segment. An Incipient Motion Method was used to determine at which discharge motion would begin. From the record of flow, and cross section analyses, results indicate that it is the moderate flow events which are responsible for the sediment transport regime within the site

A process-oriented data model for fuzzy spatial objects

The complexity of the natural environment, its polythetic and dynamic character, requires appropriate new methods to represent it in GISs, if only because in the past there has been a tendency to force reality into sharp and static objects. A more generalized spatio-temporal data model is required to deal with fuzziness and dynamics of objects. This need is the motivation behind the research reported in this thesis. In particular, the objective of this research was to develop a spatio-temporal data model for objects with fuzzy spatial extent.This thesis discusses three aspects related to achieving this objective:identification of fuzzy objects,detection of dynamic changes in fuzzy objects, andrepresentation of objects and their dynamics in a spatio-temporal data model.For the identification of fuzzy objects, a six-step procedure was proposed to extract objects from field observation data: sampling, interpolation, classification, segmentation, merging and identification. The uncertainties involved in these six steps were investigated and their effect on the mapped objects was analyzed. Three fuzzy object models were proposed to represent fuzzy objects of different application contexts. The concepts of conditional spatial extent, conditional boundary and transition zones of fuzzy objects were put forward and formalized based upon the formal data structure (FDS). In this procedure, uncertainty was transferred from thematic aspects to geometric aspects of objects, i.e. the existential uncertainty was converted to extensional uncertainty. The spatial effect of uncertainty in thematic aspect was expressed by the relationship between uncertainty of a cell belonging to the spatial extent of an object and the uncertainty of the cell belonging to classes.To detect dynamic changes in fuzzy objects, a method was proposed to identify objects and their state transitions from fuzzy spatial extents (regions) at different epochs. Similarity indicators of fuzzy regions were calculated based upon overlap between regions at consecutive epochs. Different combinations of indicator values imply different relationships between regions. Regions that were very similar represent the consecutive states of one object. By linking the regions, the historic lifelines of objects are built automatically. Then the relationship between regions became the relationship or interactions between objects, which were expressed in terms of processes, such as shift, merge or split. By comparing the spatial extents of objects at consecutive epochs, the change of objects was detected. The uncertainty of the change was analyzed by a series of change maps at different certainty levels. These can provide decision makers with more accurate information about change.For the third, and last, a process-oriented spatio-temporal data model was proposed to represent change and interaction of objects. The model was conceptually designed based upon the formalized representation of state and process of objects and was represented by a star-styled extended entity relationship, which I have called the Star Model. The conceptual design of the Star Model was translated into a relational logical design since many commercial relational database management systems are available. A prototype of the process-oriented spatio-temporal data model was implemented in ArcView based upon the case of Ameland. The user interface and queries of the prototype were developed using Avenue, the programming language of ArcView.The procedure of identification of fuzzy objects, which extracts fuzzy object data from field observations, unifies the existing field-oriented and object-oriented approaches. Therefore a generalized object concept - object with fuzzy spatial extent - has been developed. This concept links the object-oriented and the field-oriented characteristics of natural phenomena. The objects have conditional boundaries, representing their object characteristics; the interiors of the objects have field properties, representing their gradual and continuous distribution. Furthermore, the concept can handle both fuzzy and crisp objects. In the fuzzy object case, the objects have fuzzy transition or boundary zones, in which conditional boundaries may be defined; whereas crisp objects can be considered as a special case, i.e. there are sharp boundaries for crisp objects. Beyond that, both the boundary-oriented approach and the pixel-oriented approach of object extraction can use this generalized object concept, since the uncertainties of objects are expressed in the formal data structures (FDSs), which is applicable for either approach.The proposed process-oriented spatio-temporal data model is a general one, from which other models can be derived. It can support analysis and queries of time series data from varying perspectives through location-oriented, time-oriented, feature-oriented and process-oriented queries, in order to understand the behavior of dynamic spatial complexes of natural phenomena. Multi-strands of time can also be generated in this Star Model, each representing the (spatio-temporal) lifeline of an object. The model can represent dynamic processes affecting the spatial and thematic aspects of individual objects and object complexes. Because the model explicitly stores change (process) relative to time, procedures for answering queries relating to temporal relationships, as well as analytical tasks for comparing different sequences of change, are facilitated.The research findings in this thesis contribute theoretically and practically to the development of spatio-temporal data models for objects with fuzzy spatial extent.</p

Development of Force-Space Navigation for Surgical Robotics

Surgical robotics have been used for many years in orthopaedic procedures in the hip and knee. Robots tend to offer high accuracy and repeatability but add increased cost, complexity, time, and workflow disruption. This work outlines the design and development of a surgical robot that navigates using force feedback. Flexible components tether the patient to the robot and reaction loads are measured allowing the robot to “feel” its way around the pre-operative plan. Differences calculated between measured and desired loads are converted to Cartesian corrections that the robot used to navigate. The robot was tested first using simple square paths to test accuracy, repeatability and functionality. A pre-operative plan was established for implantation of the surgical system and allowed the robot to be tested doing a complex glenoid implant path. Finally, a study was performed and compared the robot’s surgical method to current surgical techniques of a trained surgical fellow on shoulder analogs. Based on this study, the robot performed as well as or better than the surgeon in almost every measurement parameter with less than 1 mm of implant placement error in many measurement metrics and less than 2° of implant orientation error in each angular measurement

Análisis de cambio de cobertura y uso de la tierra con imágenes satelitales del distrito de Sócota - Cutervo período 2002-2017

La presente investigación está enfocada en la identificación de cambios de cobertura y uso de la tierra del distrito de Sócota, provincia de Cutervo, departamento de Cajamarca; por medio de imágenes satelitales Landsat 5 (2002) y Landsat 8 (2017). Utilizando la metodología y clasificación de cobertura terrestre Corine Land Cover (base de datos sobre la cobertura y uso del suelo) propuesta y adaptada para el Perú al nivel III, con una representación cartográfica a escala 1/70 000, empleando la clasificación supervisada con randomización de bosque (Random Forest) y el algoritmo de máxima verosimilitud para generar información base. Se realizó el trabajo en campo (evaluación de consistencia) y la fase final elaborada en gabinete (edición vectorial y generalización), identificándose los cambios en las categorías: Área urbana con 38.18 ha (0.25 %), Pastos con 562.88 ha (3.64 %), Áreas agrícolas heterogéneas con 10 519.89 ha (68.01 %), Herbazal con 2 022.84 ha (13.08 %), Arbustal con 601.90 ha (3.89 %), Vegetación herbácea/arbustiva con 631.48 ha (4.08 %), Bosque abierto bajo con 959.05 ha (6.2 %), Bosque denso bajo con 83.79 ha (10.54 %) y Tierras desnudas con 48.18 (0.31 %). Se identificaron los cambios en las categorías: Arbustal (Ar) con una pérdida de 1 506.65 ha, equivalente a un 9.74 %, Bosque abierto bajo con una pérdida de 1 440.15 ha y dando un cambio positivo; Áreas agrícolas heterogéneas (Ah) con 2 579.56 ha y Herbazal (He) con 1 490.17 ha. En el periodo analizado de 15 años acurren cambios de un total de 15 468.20 ha, sufriendo cambios de cobertura de uso de la tierra 5 539.95 ha equivalente al 35.82 % y no cambio 9 928.25 ha equivalente al 64.18 %. Entre la Transición de la cobertura y uso del suelo en los años 2002 y 2017 el área que no sufrió cambio es de 9928.21ha

An Evolutionary Approach to Adaptive Image Analysis for Retrieving and Long-term Monitoring Historical Land Use from Spatiotemporally Heterogeneous Map Sources

Land use changes have become a major contributor to the anthropogenic global change. The ongoing dispersion and concentration of the human species, being at their orders unprecedented, have indisputably altered Earth’s surface and atmosphere. The effects are so salient and irreversible that a new geological epoch, following the interglacial Holocene, has been announced: the Anthropocene. While its onset is by some scholars dated back to the Neolithic revolution, it is commonly referred to the late 18th century. The rapid development since the industrial revolution and its implications gave rise to an increasing awareness of the extensive anthropogenic land change and led to an urgent need for sustainable strategies for land use and land management. By preserving of landscape and settlement patterns at discrete points in time, archival geospatial data sources such as remote sensing imagery and historical geotopographic maps, in particular, could give evidence of the dynamic land use change during this crucial period. In this context, this thesis set out to explore the potentials of retrospective geoinformation for monitoring, communicating, modeling and eventually understanding the complex and gradually evolving processes of land cover and land use change. Currently, large amounts of geospatial data sources such as archival maps are being worldwide made online accessible by libraries and national mapping agencies. Despite their abundance and relevance, the usage of historical land use and land cover information in research is still often hindered by the laborious visual interpretation, limiting the temporal and spatial coverage of studies. Thus, the core of the thesis is dedicated to the computational acquisition of geoinformation from archival map sources by means of digital image analysis. Based on a comprehensive review of literature as well as the data and proposed algorithms, two major challenges for long-term retrospective information acquisition and change detection were identified: first, the diversity of geographical entity representations over space and time, and second, the uncertainty inherent to both the data source itself and its utilization for land change detection. To address the former challenge, image segmentation is considered a global non-linear optimization problem. The segmentation methods and parameters are adjusted using a metaheuristic, evolutionary approach. For preserving adaptability in high level image analysis, a hybrid model- and data-driven strategy, combining a knowledge-based and a neural net classifier, is recommended. To address the second challenge, a probabilistic object- and field-based change detection approach for modeling the positional, thematic, and temporal uncertainty adherent to both data and processing, is developed. Experimental results indicate the suitability of the methodology in support of land change monitoring. In conclusion, potentials of application and directions for further research are given

Topographic signatures in the Himalaya: A geospatial survey of the interaction between tectonics and erosion in the Modi Khola valley, central Nepal

Spurred by the recognition that lithologic resistivity to erosion influences the steepness of terrain, the purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of feedbacks between erosion and tectonics in the Himalaya. Using spatial statistics, within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework, this study extracts steepness and curvature values from the terrain to identify the unique spatial signature of lithologic units in the Annapurna Range. The spatial relationship of faults and significant changes in river steepness (ksn) and concavity (&#952;) are examined in this project using high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), derived from a variety of interpolation methods. Through these quantifications, I explore the possibility of a new model for tectonic activity in central Nepal, in an effort to improve our understanding of how surface processes sculpt the landscape

Análisis del sistema de navegación por satélite europeo EGNOS para su integración con VRS

[EN] Abstract Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have transformed the positioning and navigation techniques, becoming the indispensable today for multiple applications. Satellite navigation is one of the new forms of navigation and has multiple advantages over existing techniques. It can provide information to users in any location, without direct vision and comprehensively worldwide. Therefore, we are witnessing the arrival of a navigation system that, by itself, could give boaters the ability to perform positioning and route planning without the need to resort to another method or additional information. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) began in early 1990 a series of activities to define "air navigation system of the future", whose base would be the GNSS systems. The potential applicability of these systems is a reality, fulfilling the requirements of many operations navigation: accuracy, integrity, availability and continuity. One example that is already being used for CAT III operations, such as aircraft landing. The signal emitted by satellites undergoes a series of errors in its spread and the operating system to be limited for many applications. Therefore, the real-time positioning requires the use of a differential corrections to improve the performance of GNSS systems. Current differential correction systems can be grouped in local systems or LADGPS (Local Area DGPS), and extensive systems or WADGPS area (Wide Area DGPS). In March 2011 the European Commission declared the 'Safety-of-Life' service of EGNOS suitable for use in civil aviation, which is the WADGPS system used in this research together with the System of Permanent Reference Stations VRS, as system LADGPS. The objective of this thesis is the analysis of the possible integration of EGNOS navigation system with positioning methodology from ground Reference Stations Trimble VRS. It aims to improve the positioning accuracy of the EGNOS system implementing a priori more accurate VRS solution. In short, we seek a proposed methodology of positioning that has the best of both, we call EGNOS / VRS. Having defined the methodology to be used for determining the positioning EGNOS / VRS new performances are analyzed and improved accuracy is verified, allowing use is new methodology for applications with requirements for positioning accuracy, such as in agriculture precision.[ES] Resumen Los Sistemas Globales de Navegación por Satélite (GNSS) han transformado las técnicas de posicionamiento y navegación, llegando a ser en la actualidad indispensable para múltiples aplicaciones. La navegación por satélite es una de las nuevas formas de navegación y tiene múltiples ventajas sobre las técnicas existentes. Puede proporcionar información a los usuarios en cualquier ubicación, sin necesidad de visión directa y de forma global en todo el planeta. Por tanto, estamos asistiendo a la llegada de un sistema de navegación que, por sí mismo, podría proporcionar a los navegantes la capacidad de realizar el posicionamiento y la planificación de rutas sin la necesidad de recurrir a otro método o información adicionales. La Organización de Aviación Civil Internacional (OACI) inició a principios de 1990 una serie de actividades encaminadas a definir el "sistema de navegación aérea del futuro", cuya base serían los sistemas GNSS. La aplicabilidad potencial de estos sistemas es ya una realidad, cumpliendo los requerimientos de muchas operaciones de navegación: precisión, integridad, disponibilidad y continuidad. Sirva como ejemplo que se está utilizando ya para operaciones de CAT III, como el aterrizaje de aeronaves. La señal que emiten los satélites sufre una serie de errores en su propagación y funcionamiento del sistema que los limitan para muchas aplicaciones. Por ello, el posicionamiento en tiempo real necesita de la utilización de unas correcciones diferenciales que mejoran el rendimiento de los sistemas GNSS. Los sistemas actuales de corrección diferencial los podemos agrupar en sistemas locales o LADGPS (Local Area DGPS), y sistemas de área extensa o WADGPS (Wide Area DGPS). En marzo de 2011 la Comisión Europea declaró el servicio 'Safety-of-Life' de EGNOS apto para su uso en aviación civil, siendo éste el sistema WADGPS utilizado en esta investigación junto con el sistema de Estaciones de Referencia Permanentes por VRS, como sistema LADGPS. El Objetivo de ésta Tesis es el análisis de la posible integración del sistema de navegación EGNOS con la metodología de posicionamiento a partir de Estaciones de Referencia en tierra VRS de Trimble. Se pretende mejorar la precisión de posicionamiento del sistema EGNOS implementando la solución VRS, a priori más precisa. En definitiva, buscamos una propuesta de metodología de posicionamiento que tenga lo mejor de ambas, que llamaremos EGNOS/VRS. Una vez definida la metodología a emplear para la determinación del posicionamiento EGNOS/VRS se analizan los nuevos rendimientos y se verifica la mejora de precisión, lo que permite utilizar está nueva metodología para aplicaciones con más requisitos en exactitud de posicionamiento, como por ejemplo en agricultura de precisión.[CA] Resum Els Sistemes Globals de Navegació per Satèl¿lit (GNSS) han transformat les tècniques de posicionament i navegació, arribant a ser en l'actualitat indispensable per a múltiples aplicacions. La navegació per satèl¿lit és una de les noves formes de navegació i té múltiples avantatges sobre les tècniques existents. Pot proporcionar informació als usuaris en qualsevol ubicació, sense necessitat de visió directa i de forma global en tot el planeta. Per tant, estem assistint a l'arribada d'un sistema de navegació que, per si mateix, podria proporcionar als navegants la capacitat de realitzar el posicionament i la planificació de rutes sense la necessitat de recórrer a un altre mètode o informació addicionals. L'Organització d'Aviació Civil Internacional (OACI) va iniciar a principis de 1990 una sèrie d'activitats encaminades a definir el "sistema de navegació aèria del futur", la base del qual serien els sistemes GNSS. L'aplicabilitat potencial d'estos sistemes és ja una realitat, complint els requeriments de moltes operacions de navegació: precisió, integritat, disponibilitat i continuïtat. Servisca com a exemple que s'està utilitzant ja per a operacions de CAT III, com l'aterratge d'aeronaus. El senyal que emeten els satèl¿lits patix una sèrie d'errors en la seua propagació i funcionament del sistema que els limiten per a moltes aplicacions. Per això, el posicionament en temps real necessita de la utilització d'unes correccions diferencials que milloren el rendiment dels sistemes GNSS. Els sistemes actuals de correcció diferencial els podem agrupar en sistemes locals o LADGPS (Local Àrea DGPS) , i sistemes d'àrea extensa o WADGPS (Wide Àrea DGPS) . Al març de 2011 la Comissió Europea va declarar el servici 'Safety-of-Life' d'EGNOS apte per al seu ús en aviació civil, sent este el sistema WADGPS utilitzat en esta investigació junt amb el sistema d'Estacions de Referència Permanents per VRS, com a sistema LADGPS. L'Objectiu d'esta Tesi és l'anàlisi de la possible integració del sistema de navegació EGNOS amb la metodologia de posicionament a partir d'Estacions de Referència en terra VRS de Trimble. Es pretén millorar la precisió de posicionament del sistema EGNOS implementant la solució VRS, a priori més precisa. En definitiva, busquem una proposta de metodologia de posicionament que tinga el millor d'ambdós, que cridarem EGNOS/VRS. Una vegada definida la metodologia a emprar per a la determinació del posicionament EGNOS/VRS s'analitzen els nous rendiments i es verifica la millora de precisió, la qual cosa permet utilitzar està nova metodologia per a aplicacions amb més requisits en exactitud de posicionament, com per exemple en agricultura de precisió.Olivares Belinchon, JL. (2016). Análisis del sistema de navegación por satélite europeo EGNOS para su integración con VRS [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/6198